Carving Blank Program

The Carving Blank Program was formed and developed from the distribution of carving wood at the Sealaska Annual meetings. Initially, the program supplied several southeast Alaska School systems; over the last four years it has expanded into a valuable and much needed resource of multiple village culture camps, Native behavioral health programs, Native associations, Native heritage organizations and a multitude of Southeast Alaska school systems.

Starting in 2013 the program has joined in the rehabilitation efforts of the Lemon Creek Correctional Center. Donated carving material is formed into Native Art and donated back to the Haa Aaní Program, which is then distributed to Southeast Alaska community and Native nonprofit organizations for their fundraising functions.

The Carving Blank Program is a joint effort between Sealaska, Sealaska Timber Company (STC), Alaska Coastal Aggregates to develop a program that contributes to the cultural needs of Sealaska shareholders. A solid base of operations has been established at the Sealaska Klawock Warehouse, where red and yellow cedar carving donation materials are processed, dried and stored. Carving materials are custom cut to fill the required donation requests of nonprofit organizations throughout the region.

Please note that the Carving Blank Program does not provide art instruction, nor does it provide carving blanks to individuals or for-profit entities.

Many village corporations, Southeast Alaska school systems, and other cultural non-profits lack the funds necessary to purchase carving blank materials to sustain established Native arts programs. The goal of the Haa Aaní Carving Blank Program is to help these organizations and their programs thrive given their proven positive impacts in our Southeast communities.